Breadcrumb

How Need is Calculated

After you have filed your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), you will receive your Student Aid Report (SAR) which will tell you your determined Expected Family Contribution (EFC). Your EFC and Your UCCS Cost of Attendance will determine the amount of financial aid you are eligible for.

How is my EFC calculated?

Your EFC is calculated using a formula established by the federal government. The information you provide on the FAFSA is used to calculate how much you (and your parents, if you are a dependent student) are expected to contribute to your educational cost.

Your EFC is used to determine if you are eligible for need-based aid.

Cost of Attendance (COA)

Each year the Financial Aid Office creates budgets reflecting the average cost for resident and non-resident students to attend UCCS for one academic year. Your COA includes estimates of tuition, fees, books, room, board, transportation, and other misc. charges.

Your cost of attendance is an estimate! Your actual billed tuition and fees will not match the averages used for the cost of attendance calculation. If you would like to calculate your tuition and fees for a term, visit the Student Financial Services Bill Estimator

Note: The total Cost of Attendance reflects the maximum amount of financial aid you may receive for the period covered by financial aid award offer.

Cost of Attendance Calculation

The following values are used to calculate your cost of attendance. To find your cost of attendance, sum the appropriate values in each category below. These values represent the cost of a single term of enrollment, so multiply by two to estimate costs for the entire academic year.

Disclosure of Financial Aid Award Offer

Your eligibility for financial aid may have been determined using estimated or incomplete information from your completed FAFSA. You may be requested to provide additional documentation to complete your financial aid file. Until all requested documentation is turned into the financial aid office, your financial aid award is tentative and may be revised. Please be advised that no aid or loans can be disbursed until these items are received.